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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · press · chip · net · mine · foot · object · lean

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. object — to protest
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. chip — for betting
  5. foot — a measure
  6. net — for catching
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mine — for digging
  9. object — an aim
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. press — to push
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. press — newspapers
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. lean — to bend
  21. saw — the tool
  22. object — a thing
  23. net — after costs
  24. lean — thin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com